Seat indicator for theaters



Patented Aug. 8, 1922?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- @N NN E. A. HENRICSON.

SEAT INDICATOR FOR THEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I1, 1922.

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E. A. HENRICSON.

SEAT INDICATOR FOR THEATERS. 7

APPLICATION FILED JAN-17,1922.

m ap m fidwardd STATES PATENT @FFHQE.

SEAT INDICATOR FOR THEATERS.

' Application filed January 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD A. 'HENRIO- son, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seat Indicatorsfor Theaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus designed to be installed intheaters, moving picture houses, etc, for indicating the location ofunoccupied chairs, to assist the ushers or patrons in finding suchchairs, the invention being particularly useful Where the hall or otherplace in which the chairs are located is dark, as in moving picturetheaters.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and eflicientindicating apparatus in which mechanical'means alone are provided foraccomplishing the result sought, no signallamps or other devicesrequiring electric current being employed.

With the object stated in view, the invention consists in a novelcombination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a row of chairs, showing the applicationof the invention; Fig, 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a seat-controlled mechanism;Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a fragment ofsaid mechanism, thesection being taken on the line 4--4lof Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an en largedelevation of an indicator, partly in section; Fig. 6 is a verticalsection on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing amodification.

lhe drawings show a row of chairs to,

which the invention is applied. The seats of the chairs are shown at 10.It will be understood, of course, that each row of chairs will beprovided with the .indlcating apparatus which is the subject matterv ofthe present application for patent. A row of five chairs is shown, butthe apparatus is applicable to a row containing any other number ofchairs.

On'the back of the row of seats 10 is mounted a channel bar 11., thesame extend Specification of Letters Patent.

I described.

Serial No. 529,883.

ing in the direction of the length of the row and being horizontallypositioned, with its channel opening downwardly. In the channel aremounted pulleys 12 alternating with smaller pulleys 13 to guide a cableor other hauling line 14: extending from one end of the row of seats tothe other, said cable being made fast at one end, and having at itsother end an operative connection with a rotatable indlcator drum. 15 tobe presently Patented Aug. 2, 1922.

On one of the flanges of the bar 11 is mounted a pressed metal bracket16 having horizontally projecting top and bot tom wings 16 whichslidably support a spring-depressed plunger 17, the wings beingperforated to receive the plunger. plunger 17 is located back of eachseat 10,

and to the latter is secured a lug 18 positioned to engage the bottom ofthe plunger and force the same upwardly against the tension of itsspring 19 when the seat is swung down for occupancy, it being understoodthat the seat is pivoted as usual so that it maybe swung down when it isto be occupied, and folded upwardly and back when not occupied.

The plunger 17 has a circumferential groove 20 whereby it is connectedto a slide consisting of an L-shaped plate, the two branches of whichare shown at 21. and 22, branch 21 having a slot 23 to straddle theplunger at the groove. Branch 22 has a slot 24 through which passes apin 25 which is secured by nuts 26, the slot permitting adjustment ofthe pin vertically, the branch 22 being vertically positioned, and thebranch 21 being horizontal. One end of pin 2-5 asses through a verticalslot 27 in the ad- ]acent flange of bar 11 and bracket 16 and supports apulley 13, whereby said pulley is supported for a bodilyverticalmovement,

31 which passes centrally through the drum and is fitted with a sleevenut 32 for securing the drum to the pulley so that it may rov.

tate with the latter. i t

The side or periphery of the drum 15 is divided into spaces numberingone more than the number of seats 10 inarow. As five seats are shown,numbers 1 to 5 are inscribed on the side of the drum with a luminouspaint so as to be visible in the dark through the sight opening 29. Theextra space is not inscribed asit indicates thefact that all the seatsin the row are down and occupied. 1

The spindle 31 is supported by a shelf 33 mounted transversely in thehousing 28 at the bottom thereof.

The line 14 is attached to and wound on the pulley 30, and when it ispulled,--the pulley rotates in. one direction and carries the drum 15around with it. When theline is released, the pulley andthe drum rotateI in the opposite direction, this being effected by a coiled spring 3 1secured at its upper .end to the top of the housing 28; and at its lowerend to the bottom of thedrum.

he operation of the apparatus may be summarized as follows; I

When all the seats 10 are occupied the lugs 18 areholding theplungers 17pressed upwardly against" the tension of their springs 19. The upwardmovement of the plungers when the seats were lowered for occupancycarried the pulleys 13 upwardly to produce a slack in the line 1 1 whichwas taken up by the spring 34- turning the drum- 15 and the pulley 30'in a direction to Wind. the line on said pulley the drum thus turningto present the blank spaceto the sight opening 29. If now onloi "theseats is swung upwardly the occupant leaves the same the lug 28b t theseat moves away from the lower end o f the corresponding plunger 17whereupon the latteris forced downwardly by its spring l'9.

The pulley 13 to which thisplunger is connected moves downwardly, withthe latter,

and therebyldraws on tlie'line 14 so that drum 15 is' rotated againstthe tension of ts spr ng 3t,the movement of the drum be ng throughfanangular distance of one,

' space, so that theiinscription 1isnow, displayed through the sightopening 29, if another seat 1s now emptied the drum is turned 1262 I j=dicating that two seats in the row are empty, and so on the inscription55 be- ,to display the inscription 52;; the same ining displayed whenalltheseats-in the'row empty yi'l s the seats are again occupied thedrum 1s rotated n a reverse QiI QQiiOn by with the spring 34 as a slackisv produced in the line 1 1 when the seats are lowered and the canreadily perceive the condition of the seats in. the entire row. It therow conta ns a large number of seats, an indicator may be plac echateaohfend of the row, one half of the seats controlling one indicator andthe other half the other indicator; The apparatus may alsobe'arrangedcto indicate the condition of the seatsat each end ozf the rowby duplicating the pulleys 12 and 13,

and the cable 1 1, as well as the indicator drum 15 and associate parts,one drum" be- 111g" positloned at one end of the row and the other atthe vother .end of the row. Fig.

'7 shows this arrangement diagrammatically.

l! igure 1 shows'all the seats but one uplor unoccupied, and in Fig.2the position of the parts when the seat is down: is shown in full linesI claim:

1. The combination. with acpl'urz tlityof chairs having movable seats,'of a rotatable indicator drum having its periphery divided 'into anumber of ,charact'ered' spaces and a blank space; and actuating means,forithe drum controlledb the position ofthelatter. v

2. The combination with-la plurality of chairs having' movable seats,ofa rotatable indicator drum having its periphery divided y the seats,for-indicating into a number of charactere'd spaces andablank spacefandactuating meansf'forfithe drum controlled by the "seats for indicatingthe position vof the latter, said actuating means moving the drurfn' todisplay the blank spacewhen all the seatsare' occupied."

3Q The combination with afolurality of chairs having movable seats; ofan indlcator 1 movable to denote'the number of such seats in'apredetermined position, a,fiexible mem- I b'er havingan, operat veconnection with the indicator for moving'thesame in' one direc- I tion,means formoving th'e indicator'in the opposite direction whena slack isproduced in the flexible member, stationary and bodily movable pulley'sover'ivliichthe flexible member is trained, and means controlled by theseats ifo r operating "the 'movable pulghtening [of and the slack in.thelflexible member. A

plurality of Thebombinatijonfwith a chairs'haviiig' mov'ablelseats'; ofan indicator .movable to denote the "number of isu'ch seats in a"predetermined position, *fiexible member having an operative]connectionthe 1nd1cator for v moving the same in" one direct on, meansflto'rmoving the lndic' tor, in "the oppositedirobi e a slack is produced inthe flexible member, stationary and bodily movable pulleys over whichthe flexible member is trained, slides carrying the movable pulleys,plungers having operative connections with the slides, and means on theseats for operating the plungers.

5. The combination with a plurality of chairs having movable seats; ofan indicator movable to denote the number of such seats in apredetermined position, a flexible member having an operative connectionwith the indicator for moving the same in one direction, means formoving the indicator in the opposite direction when a Slack is producedin the flexible member, stationary and bodily movable pulleys over'whichthe flexible member is trained, slides carry-i ing the movable pulleys,spring-pressed plungers having operative connections withu the slides,and means on the seats for operating the plungers in one direction.

6. The combination with a plurality of chairs having movable seats; ofan indicator movable to denote the number of such seats in apredetermined position, a flexible member having an operative connectionwith the indicator for moving the same in one direction, means formoving the indicator in the opposite direction When a slack is producedin the flexible member, stationary and bodily movable pulleys over whichthe flexible member is trained, slides to which the movable pulleys areadjustably connected, plungers having operative connections with theslides, and means on the seats for operating the plungers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa- EDVVARD A. HENRICSON.

ture.

